Örebro is a city in the region of Närke, and it is one of Sweden’s largest. The city is located on the river Svartån, and it originated as a ford, where a bridge was later built. The bridge was eventually called Örebron, and hence the name of the city. Örebro grew and it probably gained privileges in the 13th century. Back then it was a small town, located between today’s Stortorget square and Storbron bridge. In the middle of the 14th century, there was a royal estate here, and at that time Magnus Eriksson built a fortress as a precursor to Örebro Castle.

The city grew around the important bridge over the Svartån, and Örebro flourished when it got the only iron trade in the area, which was significant due to the occurrence of iron ore in Bergslagen. In the 16th century, 600 people lived here, where several royal councils were held, and where Charles IX built a Renaissance castle. With the industrialization of the 19th century, many factories were established in the city, which grew rapidly. The railway arrived here in 1856, and in 1888 the Örebro Canal was opened with its lock.

Today, Örebro is a cozy and beautifully situated city with many sights and attractions. The town’s center is Stortorget square, where you can see Örebro’s town hall, which was built in neo-Gothic style 1859-1863. The building replaced the former town hall, which had been the venue for parliamentary sittings in both 1810 and 1812. Next to the town hall you can see the Church of St Nicholas, which is located at the highest point in the city center.

The church was most probably built in the latter half of the 13th century and completed in the following century. The choir is the oldest part of Church of St Nicholas, which has been rebuilt several times over time. The appearance of the church tower goes back to the end of the 19th century, when a restoration restored much of the Gothic style of the church. Over time, many events have taken place in St Nicholas. It was here, for example, that Jean Baptiste Bernadotte was elected heir to the throne at the royal council in 1810.

From Stortorget you can walk north to Svartån, which flows through the center of Örebro. There are many bridges over the river, but Storbron is the most famous, and it was here that the city’s original ford was located. The current Storbron was built in 1884, and from it there is a beautiful view over Svartån and to Örebro Castle. The castle is located on an island in Svartån, and its history started with Magnus Eriksson’s fortress from the 14th century.

Over the centuries, the castle was rebuilt several times, and the current appearance was achieved by a renovation of the then dilapidated castle in the years 1897-1903. The architectural style was characterized by the desire to recreate a Renaissance castle, and the restauration works was inspired by a similar conversion of Gripsholm Castle. Today, the beautiful castle is set up as a museum, where there are various exhibitions about art and history, and as a residence for the governor of the county of Örebro Län.

From the castle and the city center you can take a nice walk along Svartån, where you come through the city park. Here you can see the Wadköping district, which is an open-air museum with wooden houses and farms from the historic Örebro. The museum is structured as an atmospheric urban environment with buildings that date back to the 16th century and perhaps even the 15th century, from which Kungsstugan may originate. Kungsstugan was formerly located on Järntorget square, but like the other buildings on the museum grounds it was moved to Wadköping.

Järntorget is close to Örebro Castle, and in that area, you can also see Örebro Theatre, which was built in 1851-1852 as one of Sweden’s largest theatres. Just west of the theater is the architecturally distinctive Hotel Borgen, which was constructed in historicist style in 1891 as the seat of Örebro Sparbank. If you continue, you come to Frimurareholmen, where Örebro’s large freemason’s lodge is located. The lodge building was designed by the castle architect Hjalmar Sandels and opened in 1884.